MAN FACES SEVERAL CHARGES

DAVID OWENSTHE HARTFORD COURANT

A 24-year-old local man who kicked, shoved and spit on state troopers trying to arrest him for allegedly driving recklessly at the Somers School Complex Tuesday afternoon ended up being pepper sprayed, hit with a Taser and held on $25,000 bail, police said.

Shaun Mayo, of 107 Hall Hill Road, was charged with two counts of assault on a police officer, interfering with a police officer, breach of peace, drunken driving and reckless driving, police said.

Troopers went to the school after the assistant principal reported hearing squealing tires and seeing a car driving fast on school grounds. There were several activities, including a lacrosse game, under way at the time, police said.

The assistant principal told police that when Mayo drove near him, he "gave him a blank stare and appeared to be on something." Later, Mayo told police he'd smoked marijuana. The trooper noted in a report that Mayo's breath smelled of alcohol.

At various points while troopers were arresting Mayo, he kicked a trooper in the leg, gave the same trooper a "shoulder block," then, once placed in a patrol car, he began kicking the car's dashboard and passenger door, police said.

To keep him from damaging the car or hurting himself, the officers wrapped duct tape around Mayo's legs. When they tried to place Mayo back in the car, he spit in a trooper's face, police said. Mayo was then pulled from the car and sprayed with pepper spray.

Firefighters responded to decontaminate Mayo and the trooper. Troopers then placed a "mouth/spit mask" on Mayo and took him to the state police barracks in Tolland. Once there, police said, Mayo became belligerent and was hit with the Taser.

At Mayo's arraignment Thursday morning in Superior Court in Rockville, a judge decided to leave his bail at $25,000.